Many software applications provide template galleries in which a user can browse, search, and open templates. Template galleries allow users to more quickly accomplish a task or improve their work product. In addition, template galleries give software developers an opportunity to showcase features of their applications. A user may encounter a template gallery when, for example, the user navigates to open a new word processing document, spreadsheet, presentation, or other such content.
Hundreds of templates, if not thousands or more, may be available from which to select those templates that are displayed in the splash page of a gallery. The limited visual real estate in the first page of a gallery generally means that some organizing principal be applied when selecting the gallery set. Such input is typically provided by personnel that manually evaluate and select which templates belong in the gallery set based on a variety of factors, including the functional and aesthetic qualifies of a template.
When applications launch, they communicate with an online templates service to obtain the manually curated gallery set. The local applications then render gallery views with graphical representations of the templates included therein.
Overview
Technology is disclosed herein that enhances the template curation process. In an implementation, templates are annotated with information indicative of various factors related to perceived qualities of the templates. A templates service automatically ranks the templates based on the factors, including functional and aesthetic factors, as well as a randomizing factor. A determination is then made about which of the collection of templates to include in a gallery set that is downloaded to local applications. The templates service replies to requests for the gallery set with results comprising graphical representations of the templates in the gallery set.
This Overview is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Technical Disclosure. It may be understood that this Overview is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.